“Documenting is important.
Because if something.
Hasn’t been photographed.
It hasn’t happened.”
“This work has to be done.
… I just do my best.”
“This work has to be done.
… I just do my best.”
She captured the scene.
Of a White Angels officer.
Reaching out to.
A resident of Toretsk.
Prior to an oncoming.
‘Orcs’ assault.
In July.
2024.
Based in Kyiv.
She understands.
The human impact.
Of this war.
Through her work.
As a photojournalist.
And from personal experience.
“I’ve experienced.”
“‘Orcs’ missiles and.
Drone attacks on the city.
Almost non-stop.
For three years.”
“During this time.
I’ve been constantly.
Worried about my parents.
Child, friends and colleagues.”
She feels lucky.
That her home is intact.
And her loved ones alive.
After witnessing.
A missile attack.
On her neighbourhood.
From her bedroom window.
From her bedroom window.
Initially, she and.
Her friends and family.
Would check in.
With each other.
On a daily basis.
After the full-scale ‘orcs’ invasion.
But the frequency.
Of attacks has forced.
Residents to learn.
To live with the war.
And maintain as normal.
A life as possible.
The toll on her profession.
Has been hard.
The toll on her profession.
Has been hard.
“We see how our colleagues.
– photojournalists in particular –
Were killed or wounded.
During this invasion.”
“We lost one of.
Our team members.
And another colleague.
Has been badly wounded.”
She tries not to.
“Overthink” what she does.
But believes.
It is important to share.
It is important to share.
The effects of the war.
With the world.
“I think it helps somehow.”
“But I don’t believe.
In the idea that.
A picture can stop a war.
If it could.”
“If it could.
We would not have lost.
So many lives here.
I still believe that.”
“Documenting is important.
Because if something.
Hasn’t been photographed.
It hasn’t happened.”
“This work has to be done.
… I just do my best.”
“This work has to be done.
… I just do my best.”
*Because I read “Love, loss and duty: Ukraine’s photojournalists share stories of war” by George Burke on24 Feb 2025, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem as a story of Alina Smutko.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
Love, loss and duty: Ukraine’s photojournalists share stories of war
